Symantec, the maker of Norton security software, said net
income rose to $132 million, or 15 cents per diluted share, in
its fiscal third quarter, from $117 million, or 12 cents per
share, a year earlier.

Revenue, excluding the impact of acquisitions and the
expensing of stock options, rose 15 percent to $1.53 billion in
the December quarter. Excluding items, Symantec earned 33 cents
per share.

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Analysts, on average, had looked for Symantec to earn 29
cents a share excluding items on revenue of $1.45 billion,
according to Reuters Estimates.

Symantec beat Wall Street expectations in the face of
concerns expressed by Chief Executive John Thompson three
months ago that U.S. economic problems would hurt Norton sales.

The company was helped by a 21 percent increase in
international revenue, which accounts for more than one-half of
total revenue. North America and Latin America revenue rose 8
percent.

Symantec, based in Cupertino, California, forecast fourth-
quarter earnings of 33 cents to 35 cents per share before items
on revenue of $1.51 billion to $1.55 billion.

Wall Street had expected earnings of 30 cents per share on
revenue of $1.49 billion, according to Reuters Estimates.

For the full year, Symantec sees earnings excluding items
ranging between $1.24 to $1.26 per share on revenue of $5.9
billion to $5.94 billion.

By comparison, analysts on average looked for profit of
$1.17 per share in fiscal year 2008 on revenue of $5.8 billion,
according to Reuters Estimates.

Shares of Symantec rose to $16.60 in after-hours trading
after closing at $15.26, up 1.6 percent on the Nasdaq.